


Fate/ Revelations

by Ikalla22



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (Anime 2014), Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Awkward Romance, M/M, Magic-Users, Minor Character Death, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-06-10 14:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6960382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ikalla22/pseuds/Ikalla22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ten years ago, Leo Nohr vowed to summon the most powerful Servant and win the Holy Grail War. That was before Takumi Hoshido stepped into his life. [A Re-Imagining of Fate/ Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works with Fire Emblem Fates characters]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. #00 Prologue

Leo had to hurry.

Father was leaving to fight the war, and being the only child left in the house meant it was his duty to see his father off. He rushed to the gate, his mother standing at the entrance to their temporary home as he caught up with the older man.

“Father!” His voice was small and cheerful as Garon turned to him with a smile on his face. The last one Leo would ever see. His father said something, words Leo had long forgotten, and ruffled the boy’s hair, before turning to leave.

“Please. Hurry back, Father!” Leo called out, gripping Brynhilder tightly as Garon disappeared into the fading landscape of his dreams as an irritated ringing startled him awake.

-

_Brrrring. Brrrring._

Leo groaned, refusing to open his eyes as the alarm clock rang. He hated mornings with a passion, and it certainly didn’t help that he had been up until the late hours of the night dealing with his father’s infuriating riddle. Of course, he’d finally cracked it, but really could Garon have left him something a little more useful?

_Brrrring. Brrrring._

A growl escaped his throat as he reached out, swiping the clock from his nightstand and throwing it as hard as he could at the nearby wall. “Shut up!” He hissed, hoping he had damaged the inner workings enough to cease the annoying rattling.

No such luck.

The clock continued to ring, vibrating against the wooden floors in an effort to awaken the young heir. Leo buried his face in the pillow, a sob escaping his throat.

Guess it was time to wake up.

-

The blonde checked himself in the mirror again, fingers running across the uniform to smooth out the creases as he checked to make sure everything was in order. It wouldn’t do for the heir to a long line of mages to look like he’d just rolled out of bed. Even if it were true.

Satisfied with the shape of his uniform and the lack of bags under his eyes, Leo slung his backpack over his shoulder and strode to the door. As he began slipping his loafers on, Leo unconsciously reached up to touch his chest pocket. His fingers met his chest, and the blonde paused in surprise.

“Oh.” He uttered softly, toeing his shoes off. “I can’t forget _that_.”

After a moment of shuffling around in the hallway drawers, Leo extracted a small ring. He turned it over in his fingers, tracing the line of gold etchings as reverently as he had the night before. It still puzzled him why his father had left such a simple trinket behind for him; but it was the last thing Leo had of his father, and as such, he would take good care of it.

 _After all,_ Leo thought, slipping the black ring into his chest pocket, _it must have some significance if he put it in his will for me._

With that, Leo slipped out of the house.

-

 _It’s quiet_. Leo thought absently as he crossed the street, fingers wrapped around the strap of his bag as he turned towards his school. He’d been walking for a good ten minutes now, and he hadn’t come across a single other student on his way over. Not saying that he didn’t enjoy the quiet of mornings, but this was pushing it.

 _Did I just leave the house too early?_ He wondered, glancing back as the light turned green. Well, it didn’t matter. Leo could easily entertain himself before school started. Maybe find a nice place to sit and read before classes started. Or he could try to find someone else to play chess with. Or maybe Niles was in. The white-haired male _had_ mentioned starting up club practice earlier now that Leo thought about it.

With a final nod, Leo found himself standing at the gate of the school. _Guess I’ll go find Niles_. He thought as he glanced around the empty courtyard. _Now… where was the archery range again…?_

-

It took him another five minutes to navigate the school. Leo had to admit, he felt a little embarrassed for getting lost, but it wasn’t really his fault. Odin had been dragging him to Track Club meetings, and his body had just automatically headed in that direction. It was a good thing he had realized it halfway to the club room, otherwise he would have wasted more time.

“Hello?” Leo called out, pushing the door to the archery range open. He hoped that Niles _was_ here. He was starting to get a little nervous with the lack of people and the company would certainly soothe his nerves.

His prayers were answered when said boy appeared, white hair tied back into a ponytail as he glanced around the corner. “Leo?” Niles asked curiously, his visible eye squinting as if he was seeing things.

“Surprised?” He responded with a smirk, already slipping his loafers off so he wouldn’t scuff the wood floor of the dojo. The members of the club worked so hard to keep it clean; it wouldn’t do to screw it up for them.

Niles finally stepped out, dressed in rather traditional archery robes. “Yeah.” He answered honestly, leaning his bow against the wall. “You’re _very_ early.” The boy said, crossing his arms and looking his friend up and down, as if assessing whether or not this was the real Leo or not.

“I assumed so.” Leo groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I must have set my alarm to the wrong time...” _How irritating…_ He thought. He had an idea why the alarm had been early, but he certainly wasn’t going to tell Niles about it. After all, first law of the magus was to never reveal yourself to non-mages.

“Really?” Niles huffed sarcastically, arms crossed as he gave Leo an assessing look. The blonde fought the urge to bite his lip and look away, knowing that doing so would only implicate him further. After all, this was one of his best friends and that meant he could read him better than anyone else on this campus.

“It happens to the best of us.” Leo responded with equal sarcasm. The white-haired male kept staring though, so Leo continued to babble. “What time is it anyways? I didn’t get a chance to look at my clock before I left.”

There was a disapproving frown on Niles’ face, but he dropped the subject. “It’s seven.” He responded, reaching out to grab his bow before turning back towards the range. “We have an hour to kill. Why don’t I show you how to shoot?”

The blonde scrunched his nose in distaste, shaking his head as he padded across the wooden floors towards the range in the back. “I’m fine.” He mumbled, tightening his hold on the strap. “Last time I tried I had welts on my arm for weeks.”

“I told you to keep the arm guard on…” His friend responded with a bored expression, though Leo knew the other had been incredibly worried that entire week. It hadn’t been easy on him either, considering it was his idea to get the blonde into archery. Leo opted for a snort in response.

“I’m not even interested in archery.” He grumbled, carefully maneuvering himself onto the floor. He sat and waited, looking up at Niles with a pointed stare. Niles stared back.

A moment later, Leo spoke up. “Why are you at practice anyways? Isn’t it too early to be impressing the girls?”

Nile’s gaze never faltered as he spoke. “Have you been spending too much time with Laslow and Odin again?”

Leo rolled his eyes, unofficially ending their staring contest. “Odin drags me to practice and you know it. I don’t spend time there on my whim.”

Niles chuckled, moving to stand next to Leo. “Too bad. I’m sure the Track Club could use a scrawny kid like you.” He teased, drawing the string of his bow. Leo flushed in embarrassment, slumping forward as Niles let the arrow fly.

“I could join if I _wanted_ to.” Came the lame response.

“Sure.” Niles replied, voice filled with mirth as he pulled another arrow from his case. “And to answer your question. Kind of. We just lost one of our best members and…” he paused to take another shot, the arrow hitting one of the inner rings, “well it’s not great. We need more members if we even want to think about competing.”

Leo nodded attentively. “Setsuna is pretty good with a bow.” He commented, waving his hand as Niles shot another arrow.

"Good with a bow. Not so good with everything else.” Came the gruff response as Niles drew another arrow. “I heard Oboro has started spending more time with her because she’s been accidentally walking into one too many poles.”

“Yeah.” Leo agreed, nodding his head. He hadn’t really gotten a chance to talk to Setsuna, but she seemed like a decent person. If you excused the multitude of bruises she had every week from walking into things. Really, it was almost like she was the one with all the bad luck and not Arthur.

Niles finally put his bow down, moving to sit next to Leo with a defeated sigh. “And honestly, I don’t think we’ll ever find another archer as good as-“

He was cut off as the door slid open, and a familiar voice rang through the compound. “Sorry I’m late!” Leo reacted first, getting to his feet and shuffling towards the doorway. He glanced towards the entrance, a smile threatening to form on his face as the blonde girl stopped.

“Oh. Leo.” She bowed her head, before smiling. “What are you doing here so early?”

“I set my alarm an hour too early.” He responded easily, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “How are you, Elise?”

“Good.”

She seemed to want to say more, but Niles appeared behind Leo. “Niles. Sorry I’m late!” Elise said once more, giving him the cutest smile she could muster. Said boy shook his head, waving off her apology.

“No big deal, Ms. Menulis.” Niles started, eyeing Leo before continuing to speak. “I guess Zola ditched again, huh?” Elise gave him an apologetic smile.

“Sorry. Big brother wouldn’t wake up.” She giggled, before turning back towards Leo who was already moving towards the entrance. He had stayed far longer than he had planned, and he didn’t want to get in the way of Niles’ practice. “Going already?”

The blonde paused at his sister’s, no, Elise’s words. She sounded sad to see him go, and as much as he didn’t want to, he did have to leave. “Yes.” He muttered softly, reaching over to place a hand on the other’s shoulder. “We can… talk later?” He asked, unsure, but hopeful that the girl would accept. They really did need to catch up, after all.

Elise seemed taken aback by the offer, before grinning widely. “Yeah!”

“Then it’s a promise.” Leo responded, glad to see the girl so ecstatic. With that, he made to leave, promising Niles he would stop by after school and saying goodbye to Elise once more.

With the door closed behind him, Leo was finally able to take a breath. Things were always awkward and tense with Elise. It had been ten years since he’d last gotten a good look at her and he was proud to see her growing up to be such a beautiful young woman. _If only Father and Camilla were here to see her too…_ He thought sourly, before shaking his head. There was no reason to re-open old wounds.

Squaring his shoulders, he made his way towards the main building. He still had at least forty-five minutes before classes started in earnest. He could take his time and get everything he needed for the first few classes. And maybe he could find a window to watch the archery practice from, just to make sure Niles and Elise were doing alright.

Just as he was about to enter the school, he heard someone calling out for him. With an irritated sigh, Leo turned, a deep frown his only response to the boy in front of him. “Zola.”

“Leo! What a surprise to see you here so early.” The other started, practically prancing over to where the blonde stood. “You’re _never_ here this early.”

"Yes. Well, I simply made a mistake with my alarm.” Leo responded blandly, hoping he could cut this conversation short. It had been nice talking to Niles and Elise, but speaking with _Zola_ of all people was not high on his to-do list.

“Oh I see.” Zola continued, oblivious to the tense mood. “Then it is good that you are so effortlessly handsome even this early in the morning.” Leo couldn’t help the wince at the other’s word choice. “So many students look up to you. It wouldn’t do them _any_ good to see you in anything but your best shape.”

Leo coughed uncomfortably. “Yes. Well…” He was a loss for words.

“Oh, but that wasn’t what I was here for.” Zola cut him off, ignoring the glare Leo shot him as he continued to ramble. “I was wondering if, perhaps, you would like it if I showed you around the archery club. It would be the greatest honor to-“

“That’s quite alright, Zola.” He held back the groan threatening to escape. “I’m sure Niles is busy with practice and I wouldn’t want to interrupt.”

“But Leo, it wouldn’t be a bother.” Zola started. “And I am certain everyone would appreciate your presence.”

The groan escaped.

Leo shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose as Zola continued to stare at him with expectant eyes. It was far too early to be dealing with the other boy. Actually, it was just _far too early_. “Not interested.” He grumbled unhappily. “In the archery club or your little… hero worship or whatever it is you call this.” He continued, crossing his arms and glaring down at the smaller boy. “Now if you would so kindly _leave_. I have no interest in spending time with you.”

Zola was at a loss of words, mouth agape as Leo climbed the remaining steps up into the school building. Shaking himself of his surprise, the thin boy hurried up after the blonde, voice rising as he spoke out. “What are you saying? Surely you must be joking!” He rasped, inching closer to the blonde, eyes wide with disbelief. “I apologize if I have offended you in some way-“

“Will you stop groveling?” Leo spat, slamming the door to his locker harder than he normally did. “I told you I am _not_ interested, so _please_ leave me alone!” He turned with a loud huff, fingers tight around his backpack strap as he stomped away. This hadn’t been how he had planned to spend the rest of his morning; but Zola knew all the right ways to push his buttons. Insufferable fool.

Thankfully, he didn’t hear the telltale patter of feet against linoleum as he turned to climb the stairs. Zola had likely taken his words to heart and left him alone. Good. Leo liked it that way.

As he turned to continue up the second half of the stairs, he quickly dodged to his left, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with the pink ball of energy. “Ms. Yang!” Came the choked call as Leo watched the pink-haired teacher quickly turn the corner. The woman squeaked in surprise, nearly tripping down the flight of stairs as she turned to address the boy with a smile.

“It’s Ms. Sakura, Leo.” She reminded with a light smile, pulling her papers closer to her chest. “You’re here early.”

“Yes. My alarm clock…” Leo trailed off, not really interested in retelling his little lie. Hadn’t he said it enough today as it was?

“Yes, of course.” Sakura responded, nodding in understanding before she glanced down at her watch. “I must be going. Have a good rest of the morning, Leo! I will see you in class!”

Leo didn’t have time to respond as the pink-haired teacher hurried down the steps. He watched on in amusement, a smile tugging at his lips as Sakura disappeared down the stairwell. It was always nice to see his teacher so full of energy, especially so early in the morning. Where _did_ she get all that energy from anyways?

With a shake of his head, Leo continued up the stairs to the second floor. Even though the school was rather empty, he had come across a surprisingly large number of people within the past hour. Who would have known so many of his friends were on campus at this time. _Maybe I should start showing up early to spend time with them_ he mused to himself as he turned down the hallway.

Leo paused then, eyes flickering up to register the shocked expression on the boy’s face in front of him. “Student Council President Hinata.” He greeted, his tone even and neutral even as the other’s face contorted, rather openly, into several different emotions.

“N-Nohr?! You’re here early!” Hinata commented rather loudly. Leo snorted, crossing his arms as the other finally seemed to settle down.

“Can’t a guy change his schedule, sometimes?” Came the rather flippant response. Hinata’s mouth dropped into a light scowl, and the brunette turned away with an indignant frown.

“Whatever. What you do with your time is none of my business.” Hinata started, before his eyes took on a serious glint. “Unless you’re doing something seedy, here.”

Oh, how Leo wanted to just face palm right then and there.

“Nothing of the sort, I can assure you.” He responded blandly, massaging his temple instead. “Is it so wrong of me to come early for once?”

“For you, maybe.” It was a petulant response, and Leo was definitely not going to deem it with a response. It was bad enough he was accosted by Zola so early, but to have the Student Council President on his back. Really, this morning could have gone a lot better.

“I apologize if my coming early has caused you any inconvenience, but you should not act so rashly. As Student Council President, you-“

“Yeah, yeah.” Hinata cut him off with a wave of his hand. Leo bit back on the annoyance creeping into his thoughts. He wouldn’t let this boy get to him. He was a _Nohr_ and he had to act like it. “You take this stuff way too seriously. Honestly it’s not like-“

Almost as if by some twist of fate, the door behind Hinata opened rather suddenly, cutting the boy off. The brunette paused, attention immediately turning towards the silver-haired youth walking out of the room. Leo followed Hinata’s gaze towards the boy, eyes widening slightly as the two of them began to converse. “Hey. I’m sorry I didn’t help you.” Hinata continued, squatting down next to the boy and the broken unit. “I made you do all the work again.”

“It’s no problem.” The silver-haired boy said, waving his hand dismissively as he stood. “Are there any others that you need help with or are we good?”

“There’s another one on the third floor, if you’re willing to take a look.” Hinata started, reaching down to pick up the unit with a huff. “But I don’t want to-“

“It’s fine, Hinata.” Leo could just barely make out a smile on the other’s face, before he continued to speak. “Just lead the way and I’ll do whatever I can do to help.”

As Hinata started speaking again, Leo decided this was his time to leave. It was obvious the two of them were busy and he wouldn’t want Hinata’s focus to shift back to him. With a small shrug of his shoulders, the blonde moved around the two students as they began to shuffle back into the classroom.

“I didn’t know you came to school this early.”

Leo stopped in surprise, turning to watch the silver-haired boy disappear into the classroom, his short ponytail the only indication that he had ever been there. Leo nibbled at his lip, before turning away. _Is that his way of saying hello?_

-

“Hey, Leo! Do you want to eat lunch with us?” Odin asked, blue eyes bright as he stopped his friend just as he was leaving. Leo shook his head, a smile on his face as he gestured towards his empty desk.

“I forgot to pack. I’m going to eat in the cafeteria.” He responded, reaching up to pat his friend on the arm. “Maybe next time?”

"You always say that!” Odin groaned rather loudly, drawing the attention of some of the nearby students. The other rolled his eyes, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and turning him towards his little posse.

"Next time.” He said firmly, before releasing the loud blonde and quickly leaving the room. Odin watched with a rather uncharacteristic pout, before marching over to his friends and slumping into the chair.

“It’s always the same with him!” Odin whined loudly, resting his head against Laslow’s shoulder. The grey-haired boy laughed, finishing the bite of his food before reaching over to shake Odin off his shoulder.

"You know him. He never brings food.” Laslow said with a wry smile, watching as Odin’s head fell against the desk. Selena sat across from him with a bored expression on her face, nibbling at her food as she watched the boys.

“Well one of these days I’ll get him to sit with us!” Odin bounced back up with an exuberant smile. “He won’t be able to deny a request from his very best friend! Odin Dark!”

Selena face palmed, while Laslow shook his head. “Honestly, why do you try so hard? It can’t matter _that_ much to you.” The grey-haired boy couldn’t even begin to understand why the loud blonde tried so hard every day. “It’s not even fun whenever he’s around. All the pretty girls end up flirting with him and he doesn’t even give them a second glance!”

Selena chose that moment to elbow the boy in the side. Laslow winced, before turning to glare at the girl, ready to question her for her actions when she simply pointed towards the door. Laslow followed her finger towards the other end of the classroom, eyes going wide as he saw Leo leaning rather casually against the frame, a smile on his face.

“Oh.” Laslow said softly, feeling a chill run up his spine. “He’s definitely mad.”

“Doesn’t look like it.” Odin said, glancing over at the smiling blonde. He waved at Leo, wondering if the boy had chosen to change his mind. Leo waved back, though the smile never left his lips and his gaze never left Laslow’s.

Laslow shivered again. “It was a joke! A joke!” He defended, suddenly very aware of the situation he was in. He had never personally seen Leo snap, and he hoped he would never. Especially if the anger were directed towards him. “Don’t you know how to have any fun?!”

Leo’s response was a snort, but the evil forces surrounding Laslow seemed to relent as the other turned away. Laslow breathed out a sigh of relief, slumping into his chair as the blonde disappeared down the hall. “S-safe.”

-

 _It’s a nice day_. Leo thought quietly as he leaned up against the chain-link fence. The roof had been surprisingly empty when he’d come up; just the way he liked it. He had seen some other students dotted around, but they were all so absorbed in their conversations that they hadn’t noticed the blonde.

As he took another bite of his sandwich, Leo couldn’t help but let his mind wandered to the events of last night. _The war is going to start soon_. He sighed, setting the sandwich aside as he leaned back against the fence, gaze locked onto the sky. _I wasted all that time trying to solve Father’s puzzle and all I got out of it was a smashed catalyst and this ring._

His fingers brushed against his chest pocket, dancing over the shape of the ring. It was difficult to register it through the thick fabric of his jacket, but it was there. A constant reminder of his Father’s will and what it meant. _But how is a stupid ring going to help me?_ A groan escaped the blonde’s lips as he sat up straight.

 _That fake priestess has been getting on my case about the upcoming war. I need to summon someone and quick, or all this would have gone to waste_.

Leo stared at the back of his hand blandly, noting the red marks just starting to appear on the back of his hand. By the end of tonight, the seals would be completely formed, and he would have a servant. Deep down, he was hoping he would be able to summon the Saber. If he didn’t, he might not have a chance at winning this war.

With a shake of his head, he pushed thoughts of the upcoming battle to the back of his mind and finished up his lunch.

-

Leo glanced up at the clocks, fingers twitching as the clock struck five minutes before two AM.

He had returned home right after school, finally ready to perform the summoning for his servant. He’d received a message from Mother Flora, urging him to hurry and summon a servant. She’d even gone so far as to assume he was too _cowardly_ to partake in the war and had offered the protection of the Church.

 _Nonsense_. Leo thought sourly, fingers brushing over the jewels in his hand. _I won’t back away from a challenge._

Taking one more look around at the summoning seal, the blonde took a deep breath. It would work. He would definitely summon Saber. It was nearly time, and his connection to the root was as strong as it could be. He just had to say the incantation as it struck two, and with his mana at its peak, there was no way he would summon anyone _except_ Saber.

He listened to the clock, waiting and watching as the needle slowly slid into place, before his father’s study was completely engulfed in gentle blue light.

“For the elements, silver and iron.” He started to chant, liquefying the jewels with mana and allowing it to drip onto the seal. “For the foundation, stone, and the Archduke of Pacts. And for the ancestor, my great master, Schweinorg.”

He watched in wonderment as the entire seal began to glow, mana seeping into the lines to light it with power. “Close the four gates.” He paused, the light pulsing green for a split second. “Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom.”

Leo took a deep breath, fingers twitching as the jewels continued to drip to the ground. “Fill,” _drip_ , “fill,” _drip_ , “fill, fill, fill.” _Drip, drip, drip._ “Repeat five times. But when each is filled, destroy it.” The last of the jewels dripped onto the seal, and suddenly the light grew brighter. Leo flinched, wanting to cover his eyes, but knowing that if he stopped now he would ruin the entire summoning. He had to persevere. He _had_ to summon Saber.

“Anfang.” Wind was howling in his ears now, biting into his skin with such intensity that Leo almost wanted to stop it all.

“Heed my words,” he grit his teeth, “My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the grail’s call and obey my will and reason, then answer me!” He let his voice echo, watching as the wind seemed to start materializing something. He could do this. _He could do this_.

“I hereby swear… that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all the evil in the world. Seventh Heaven, clad in the great words of power. From the binding circle, thou guardian of the scales!”

There was a deafening boom as the magic around him rushed inwards. Leo held back a yelp as the wind rushed towards him, threatening to blow him back. He would do it. He would _summon Saber!_

Within a few moments, the last of the air vanished. Magic lingered in the air as Leo collapsed to his knees, his entire body shaking from the magical exertion. “I-I did it.” He gasped, not wanting to open his eyes just yet. Not wanting to see the Servant he had summoned. “I-I really did it… Father.”

He took a deep breath then and straightened up, ready to finally lay eyes on said summoned spirit. But as he opened his mouth to speak, he realized that there was something very _crucial_ missing from the scene before him. “What?!” He asked, bewildered to see nothing in front of him. “No. No, no, no! How could this be?” He roared, scrambling to his feet to get a good look around the workshop.

There wasn’t a single soul standing before him, or anywhere in the study for that matter. It was empty. “No.” He said again, disbelief and grief welling in his heart. “No! I did it correctly! It couldn’t have possibly-“

He was cut off as he heard a loud _whumpf_ from above. “Oh gods, what now?!”

Leo rushed upstairs as quickly as he could, fingers shakily brushing through his hair as he slammed the door open. He gasped audibly, eyes roving over the damage that had been done to his living room. It was like a _hurricane_ had just come through without him knowing. “Why...” He started, words trailing to a halt as he spotted a figure clad in a traditional Asian garb leaning against some of the mess.

The man was tan, with long black hair pulled into a tight braid behind his head. His eyes were closed and his arms were splayed haphazardly across the overturned furniture. Was this… Leo’s Servant?

The man’s eyes fluttered open slowly, revealing reddish-brown orbs as he maneuvered his body into a more comfortable position. He looked around, eyes unfocused as he took in the scenery, before they landed on the young magus. Something seemed to register in the man’s head, for his eyes widened minutely, before he relaxed, a cocky smirk on his face. Leo hated it.

“I ask of you,” The Servant started, voice low as he stood, “are you my master?”

 

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! If you made it this far... thank you! This is the first time in a long while that I've written anything and published it for others to read. I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If you've already seen F/SN: UBW, or know of it, I'm going to keep this similar in story, but not everything will be exactly the same. That being said, if you haven't actually seen the anime or played the visual novel, I hope you enjoy the wild ride!
> 
> Also, constructive criticism is always appreciated. It's been a long time since I last wrote anything and I'm rusty. I'm all ears for whatever you guys have to say!
> 
> Edit (5/25): Made some changes to the formatting so it would be easier to read on mobile.


	2. #00 Prologue (cont.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I ask of you,” The Servant started, voice low as he stood, “are you my master?”

Leo gaped at the black-haired man, still at a loss of words. Out of everything that had happened, this had to be the most unexpected.

“W-What?” His response was strangled, his mind still a jumble as he tried to grasp what was going on. The summoning, the explosion, everything. But perhaps the most baffling was the location of his Servant’s arrival. Not downstairs where the seal was, but up here. How? Everything had been perfect, hadn’t it? The circle, the jewels, even the… time.

Leo wanted to scream.

The _time_. Of course! He cursed himself mentally, eyes focusing in on the broken grandfather clock resting behind his Servant. The clocks had all been set an hour forward last night. The boy hadn’t even gotten around to re-setting all of them, too tired after school and too nervous over his summoning that night. It wasn’t two in the morning, it was _one in the morning_.

_How did I make such a rookie mistake?!_

The blonde magus wanted to do nothing more than kneel down and wallow in his own self-pity. Everything had been _perfect_ and he had somehow managed to screw _this_ up! _It doesn’t matter_ , Leo thought, taking in a deep breath as he returned his attention to the man standing before him. _It doesn’t matter because I still summoned a Servant and everything will be alright._

“Are you done mentally berating yourself?” His Servant’s voice cut through his thoughts like a knife. He focused his gaze, pushing away his thoughts with some effort, and glared at the cocky man standing before him. “Oh. Good. You responded. For a moment, I feared you were a lame.”

Leo flushed, lips tugged downwards into a grimace. “Excuse me? Is _that_ how you treat your Master?” The response was sharp and carried a threat that the black-haired male seemed to simply ignore. He reached up, pulling his braid over his shoulder so he could pick at the ends of his hair.

“If you _are_ my Master.” The Servant responded sarcastically, eyes glued to his hair as he spoke. It made Leo’s blood boil, being so flippantly ignored by someone who was meant to _obey_ him. “I have my doubts, you see. You weren’t present when I was summoned.”

“Did you _actually_ expect me to be sitting here, on my knees, waiting for you?” The blonde snorted, shaking his head as if it were the most impossible thing he had heard, even if that was _exactly_ what he had been doing only moments before. “You’re not a child. I don’t need to hold your hand.” The boy turned his head away with an indignant huff, but the man before him simply laughed, head thrown back as if he had heard the greatest joke in his life.

Once he had calmed down, he smirked and crossed his arms. “Then tell me, oh capable one, how do I know that you are _indeed_ my Master? You could be an imposter, attempting to play me as a fool.” Leo felt the frown deepen at the expression on the man’s face; he had a point.

“Fine. If you need proof,” the blonde paused to pull back his sleeve, lifting his hand for the Servant to see, “here. This is proof enough, right?” He asked, irritation evident in his voice as he glared at the man. He had hoped to wipe that cocky expression from the man's back, but only incited the other's amusement.

“What use are silly trinkets?” He asked, grabbing Leo’s hand suddenly and waving it about. “ _This_ means nothing to me. It proves _nothing_.” A growl escaped the mage’s lips as he snatched his hand away. How dare this Servant _touch_ him without his permission? Who the hell did he think he was?!

“Then what do you _want_?” The hiss that escaped Leo’s throat seemed to have an effect on the cocky man, for he straightened up and took a cautious step backwards. Leo couldn’t help but feel proud of himself for giving this man a reason to reconsider his actions, but that quickly left him as the other continued to speak.

“What else? You need to prove that you’re _worthy_ of me.” He stated, crossing his arms and giving Leo an unimpressed look. “As it is, I am completely _dissatisfied_ with you. You’re a rookie who just happened to get lucky to summon me.” There was a self-satisfied smile on his face that Leo wanted to _punch_ off of him. He bit his lip, willing himself to stay calm. He wouldn’t let this sham of a Servant get to him.

Finally finding the will to respond, he spoke with a clipped tone. “Are you saying that I am not worthy of you?” There was no way the Servant could miss the obvious anger laced in between the words. Yet despite it all, the Servant continued, uncaring of the state his Master was in.

“Not entirely so. I suppose the Command Seals do make you my Master, but in form only.” He spoke, more to himself than to the young boy fuming in the center of the room. “Therefore, I will only be your Servant in form only. That should be fine, so long as I win you the Holy Grail, right, Master?” He asked it so innocently that Leo nearly lost his cool.

 _How dare this man insinuate that I am a mere rookie? Me! The one who summoned him here in the first place!_ The blonde thought angrily, teeth sunk into his lip to keep himself from lashing back.

The black-haired man continued to talk. “So why don’t you just sit back and relax?” He moved towards one of the couches that had been spared from the hurricane of his arrival, seating himself with a relaxed sigh. “After all. I don’t expect _anything_ from you anyways.”

Leo snapped.

“Anfang!”

“What?!” The man shot to his feet, eyes wide as the room began to fill with magic. He turned towards his Master with a horrified expression. “Wait!”

“Shut up!” Leo roared, pressing his fingers at the red marks on the back of his hand. They were starting to glow, magicflaring wildly as he glared at the Servant, fury burning in his red eyes as he tapped into the crystallized mana. “You _despicable, lousy ingrate!_ I’ll show you!”

“What are you-“

“ _Vertrag… Ein neur Nagel… Ein neues Gesetz…_ ”

“Are you crazy? Wasting a command seal-“

“ _Ein neues Verbrechen…_ Silence!” Leo’s Servant froze at the command, a helpless expression replacing the horrified one. Leo didn’t care. He was going to make this man _pay_ for shaming him like this. For shaming a Nohr. “You are _my_ god dam Servant! That means absolute obedience!” He watched, a sick sense of satisfaction filling him as the color drained from the man’s face. “You will do _everything I say!_ ”

With that, a deafening roar filled the room. Magic, which had been circling Leo, suddenly flared outwards. His Servant flinched away, hiding his face as the magic curled around him, attaching itself to his soul and commanding him to do as his Master wished. The light faded, and the young Master dropped to his knees, breathing heavily as the command seal evaporated from his hand and his thoughts finally returned to him. He could feel his shoulders shake as his hand fell limply to his side.

_I just did that. I really just did it. I can’t believe it. Please tell me I didn’t just-_

“You idiot!” Leo winced at the shout, shrinking away from the clearly furious Servant as his thoughts tumbled in his head. “Wasting your command seal on… on something as stupid as _that!_ Do you even know what you’ve done?” The blonde couldn’t help the shame that weighed heavily in his heart with every word the otherspoke.

He did the only thing he could; he lashed out. “Shut up! _You’re_ the reason we’re in this mess in the first place!” Leo shouted, hands curled into tight fists as he willed himself to stay calm. “If you hadn’t run your mouth we wouldn’t be in this situation!’

“I thought Masters were supposed to be well-groomed mages. Not ill-tempered children!” The Servant hissed back as he started to pace. Leo couldn’t help but feel like a child who was being scolded by his parent. Not to mention he already felt terrible for making such a grave mistake. He didn’t _need_ to hear it from this cretin.

“And I thought Servants were supposed to be _Hero’s_.”

The words hung between them, heavy and loaded with implication. Leo refused to look at his Servant, and the man had finally stopped his pacing. For a moment, there was no movement. Leo was too wrapped up in his own thoughts, and his Servant was equally as thoughtful. After a few moments, they both opened their mouths to speak.

“I’m sorry.”

“I apologize.”

They both looked at each other in surprise, before bursting into raucous laughter. Once they had calmed down, Leo stood, brushing off his slacks before turning to look at the other with an apologetic smile.

“I should not have gotten so angry with you.” He started. His Servant shook his head, waving at him to be quiet as he spoke instead.

“No, the fault is mine.” The man said it earnestly. “I had only meant to tease you. Had I known my words would cause you such distress, I would have ceased immediately.” Leo felt an embarrassed flush rise to his face as he tried to dismiss the words. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. Sure his pride had certainly taken a hit, but he had over-reacted. Looking back, there certainly wasn’t any malice in the other’s words.

“Please, it really was not your fault.” He implored, hoping that the other would listen to him and accept his apology. “I over-reacted. It’s been a long day and I ruined the summoning spell-“

“Master, the spell was fine.” The man cut him off gently. “You did an excellent job. Truly. I was too hard on you. I am still disoriented from my summoning and-“

“But that’s exactly it! You wouldn’t be disoriented if I had-“

“Well yes, the summoning wasn’t perfect but not all of them are. You did well-“

“That doesn’t excuse my shoddy excuse for a summoning! If I had paid more attention we wouldn’t be having-“

“-this argument. I agree. But it is how it is.” Leo opened his mouth to continue speaking, but his Servant covered it. “Please, Master. At the very least, if you intend to continue our conversation, could we move it somewhere less… charged?” The man looked around at the room with a frown. “I have a feeling that all the excess mana from my appearance and your command has created an environment unsuitable for friendly conversation.”

The boy’s mouth hung open for only a few more moments, before he shut it and nodded. That made sense. Maybe his Servant was on to something. “Yes. Yes, of course. Please. Follow me.”

-

 _As annoying as he is, he was right._ Leo thought quietly as he sat on one of the couches in his father’s second-floor study. Ever since leaving the living room, Leo had felt a certain calmness wash over him. It had given him a chance to get his head back on his shoulders, and he couldn’t be more thankful the reprieve.

“Master.” The black-haired man started, turning away from the bookshelves that had fascinated him upon arrival, to look at the young magus. Leo glanced back at him, waving his hand as if to command the other to speak. “I thought I would inform you that the pact has fully formed. I am receiving a satisfactory mana feed from you.”

Leo nodded, turning back to face out the window towards the dark night sky. “That’s good. Do you finally concede that I am your Master?” He asked, pulling his knees up against his chest. There was a rumble of agreement from his Servant, before the man appeared next to him.

“Yes. _You_ are my Master, and I your Servant. I am at your disposal.” The man said politely, pressing a fist against his chest and bowing before the blonde.

The young magus turned away at that, a small frown tugging at his lips. “There will be no need for that. You are my Servant, but you are also my equal.” It was uttered under his breath, too quiet for normal human ears to register, but loud enough for a Servant’s. The man straightened, shoulders falling into a more relaxed position as he gave Leo a genuine smile.

“Of course, Master.” Leo watched as the other bowed his head, feeling his lips twitch upwards. Yes. This was how it was meant to be. Not a master and his servant, but a Master and his Servant. Equals that fought _together_ on the battlefield.

“And, as your equal.” The boy started. “I must apologize for being so wasteful. Command Seals are powerful things, and it was silly of me to waste it on something as stupid as absolute obedience.”

The other chuckled and shook his head. “Silly or not, I am happy to see that even _you_ are humble enough to acknowledge a mistake. I would not have asked for a better quality in my Master.” A flare of embarrassment coursed through Leo, but he tamped down on the feeling quickly.

“Still. What a waste. Command Seals are crystallized mana. The power it would have given me could give us any number of advantages. Teleportation, Flight.” The boy sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he thought about the events in the past hour. “And I’ve gone and wasted it on something that could not be granted.”

At these words, his Servant hummed thoughtfully. Leo glanced up at the man, curious as he began to speak. “While I agree with the sentiment, I do feel the need to tell you that your command wasn’t a _complete_ waste.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Whatever do I mean, indeed.” The man teased, smiling to himself. “I do feel a certain _urge_ to obey you. Small as it may be, ignoring it would cause me quite a bit of discomfort.” He turned towards Leo, eyes twinkling with a fondness that the blonde couldn’t quite understand. But he pushed aside the thought to consider his Servant’s words.

“So… not a waste?” The magus asked hopefully.

“No.” An earnest response. “You should be proud. Only first-rate mages could perform such a feat as that.” He chuckled, shaking his head, the loose strands of his hair bouncing against his forehead playfully. “It would appear my Master is quite powerful.”

 _What?_ Leo blinked owlishly, staring up at his Servant with a mixture of surprise before the words settled in. _Did he just…_ The blonde made a choked noise as his cheeks flared red, and he quickly slapped his hands against his face to cover the blush. “I-Isn’t it too late for compliments?!” He shouted, shutting his eyes as he tried to will away the heat coiling in his chest.

His Servant laughed heartily, obviously amused by the state his Master was in. “I only speak the truth.” Leo couldn’t help the sound that escaped his throat as he buried his face further in his palms, his ears now tinted pink as he tried to calm himself.

_He’s only saying it to get a rise out of me! Pull yourself together, Nohr!_

After a few moments, Leo managed to reign in the blush and his pulse. He focused a glare on his Servant, though the man simply smiled back. “Anyways,” Leo began, crossing his arms with an irritated huff, wanting to leave this conversation behind, “what class of Servant are you anyways?”

“I am of the class, Archer.”

Leo groaned, falling backwards onto the couch with a defeated look on his face. _I used all my best jewels and I still didn’t get Saber?!_ The boy frowned, pressing his hands to his face. _I guess it was my fault. I didn’t even get the time right…_

“Are you… dissatisfied with my summoning?” Archer’s question pulled the boy from his thoughts. He let his hands fall to his lap and he looked up at the other with a sigh.

“Not… dissatisfied. I was simply… hoping for Saber?” He asked, uncertainty painting his every word as he tried to give the other a reassuring smile. Okay, so sure his Servant wasn’t _exactly_ what he had been hoping for. But it had happened and he would live with it!

Archer looked unimpressed, his brow scrunched together in thought. Letting out a huff, he crossed his arms and turned away with an indignant expression on his face. “Well, I _apologize_ for not being a Saber.” He groused, refusing to meet Leo’s gaze.

 _Way to go, me. I just had to open my big mouth._ Leo thought quietly, running his hand through his hair. He had been careless and had caused _another_ rift between him and his Servant. “Archer, I’m-“

“Don’t apologize.” The man cut him off, finally glancing back towards the boy. “I will make you rue those words, Master.” His gaze shifted back out the window. “And when I do, you can apologize all you want. I _won’t_ forgive you.”

It took a moment for the words to settle in, but as they did, Leo couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto his face. He got to his feet, moving so that Archer could see him. “I look forward to the day, Archer.”

-

“Ah. By the way, Archer. What Heroic Spirit are you?”

Archer stopped walking, looking at Leo seriously as the boy turned to gaze up at him. They had agreed that further discussion should wait until the next day, after Leo had rested for the night. However, the boy realized halfway to his room, that he had no idea who the other was, and that was crucial information for any plans Leo had.

His Servant’s face went through several different expressions, before falling to a serious one. “I apologize, Master. But I cannot seem to recall my true name. Or anything else from my past for that matter…”

“What do you mean you don’t-“

“Perhaps,” Archer cut him off, “it had something to do with the imperfect summoning.” He ignored the glare Leo shot him. “But honestly, does it matter? It is such an unimportant detail.”

 _Unimportant my ass!_ Leo thought, pressing his fingers against his temple as he tried to figure out a way to tell the man that no, they needed this information for very important reason. “Archer, this is important. I _need_ to know who you are! How else am I supposed to know how strong you are?” _Or what kind of plan I should be coming up with!_

Honestly. He knew he had messed up, but he couldn’t have messed up _that_ badly.

Despite this, Archer waved his hand dismissively, still not giving the words much thought. “Of course I’m strong. _You_ summoned me.” He made it sound like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Leo had a feeling he was trying to get another rise out of him, but he wouldn’t let it happen twice in one night. Instead, the young mage crossed his arm and gave Archer a _look_. The man stared back for only a few more moments, before he groaned. “Alright, fine. I _do_ remember _a_ name.”

“And…?”

Archer gave Leo an annoyed look, before sighing. “Kamui. That is the name I remember. Perhaps a title, or a moniker, I was given while I still lived.” He turned away from the boy then, arms crossed as the blonde let the information sink in. This information wouldn’t be particularly useful, especially if it weren’t a true name. He supposed he could track it backwards in time, but it was generic and could have been used multiple times throughout history. And if it truly were just a moniker…

Leo groaned, hand running through his hair as he looked back at his Servant. “Alright… Kamui.” He started, the name foreign on his tongue. “For now, I will address you as Archer. I have my doubts about your name, and anyways, it’s suicide to go around calling you Kamui all the time. Who knows who could be listening in on our conversations.”

“Of course, Master. I would not have it any other way.” The man bowed, braid slipping down over his neck. Leo hummed thoughtfully, wondering if he could, perhaps, trace the style of braid and clothing. Or perhaps the accent? _I'll deal with it later. For now, there's still that mess in the living room that needs to be dealt with_. He thought as he turned to give his Servant a rather serious once over.

“Now. For your first job…”

-

“I will do as you wish.” Archer’s eyebrow twitched as he clutched the broom. “And _you_ can go to hell, Master.”

Leo smiled.


	3. #00 Prologue (end)

The blonde found himself standing atop a rooftop the next night, hands clasped behind him as he took in the cool, night air. Before him, the city was quiet, but brimming with energy. Lights danced across the horizon, and the stars playfully glittered in the evening sky. It was a _fantastic_ view, and Leo wished he could come up here every night. Archer must have heard his thoughts, because he snorted, shaking his head at how silly the notion was.

“I wasn’t actually going to come up here every night.” Archer chuckled at the blonde’s words, amusement lacing the mental link between them.

Honestly, today had been insane.

Leo had managed to wake up late despite his alarm, and decided, on a whim, to skip school for the rest of the day. He’d been surprised to find his living room completely fixed, every piece of furniture back in its right place and not a single speck of dust could be spotted anywhere. Archer had been standing there, waiting for the blonde with a tray of tea, which Leo had graciously accepted.

After that, they bantered for a few moments, before finally sealing their pact. (“I will call you Leo. It suits you.”) The memory still brought warm feelings to the pit of Leo’s stomach, but he managed to keep it down, not wanting his Servant to know that he was so easily moved by silly compliments like that. After breakfast, he declared that the two of them should go exploring, much to his Servant’s chagrin. Which had eventually led them up here.

“The city is very nice.” Archer commented, pulling Leo from his thoughts. The blonde glanced back at the man as he stood, and chuckled. It seemed that, even despite his initial hesitance to explore, Archer had truly enjoyed it.

“I agree.” Leo turned away with a small, accomplished grin. “Thank you for accompanying me today, Kamui. It would not have been quite so amusing without you by my side.”

The other didn’t respond immediately, staring out towards the horizon of the city before he opened his mouth. “Why wouldn’t I, Leo?” His name rolled easily off the other’s tongue. “It gave me a good chance to learn the lay of the land. And now we are better prepared for it.”

Leo couldn’t help the amused huff. They were _so_ alike sometimes. “You took the words right from my mouth.” He turned, flashing the man a quick smile before his gaze focused back on the city. They fell into a companionable silence, thoughts intermingling as they both stared into the wide expanse of the sky. As the blonde opened his mouth to continue speaking, he felt his attention catch on to a figure in the distance.

His mouth shut, and Leo watched as silver-hair bounced against its owner’s neck, before flaring out as the other turned in a huff. _What is he doing out here?_ He crossed his arms, confused as the boy hurried down the steps and out of his sight. “A friend of yours?”

Archer’s words made him jump. He turned, a frown on his face as he mentally reprimanded the Servant for peeking in on his private thoughts. “Just someone I know.” He responded honestly, turning back to stare at the bridge despite the fact that no one was there now. “He’s… an acquaintance. From school.”

There was an odd look on Archer’s face, but he nodded anyways, dropping the topic. Leo was relieved he wouldn’t have to get into it the details, not really sure how he would explain his connection to the silver-haired youth. “By the way, Leo…”

“Hm? Yes?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, but… what is your wish?” It took Leo a few moments to process the words. At first, he couldn’t quite figure out what Archer was talking about, but with each passing moment, the pieces began to click. The blonde pressed a hand to his forehead and gave a small huff of laughter.

“Of course.” He berated himself, shaking his head as he looked over at the man. “My wish for the grail, correct?”

“Correct. If I am to serve you, I would like to know what it is you wish to achieve.” Archer crossed his arms, looking thoughtful as the words rolled around in Leo’s head. His wish, huh? He turned back towards the city, fingers tapping at his leg as he considered it.

“You may think me mad, but my wish is nothing.” Leo turned back as confusion flared through their link. He chuckled, having expecting no other reaction to the words. After all, the Grail only picked Masters who _had_ wishes that needed to be granted. “I wish for nothing, because my wish is simply to fight. To prove my honor as a mage and defeat the rest.”

Archer was staring at him like he’d grown a second head.

Leo frowned, crossing his arms as he stared back at his Servant. “What? Do you not agree with my wishes?” He hoped not. Controlling someone as powerful as Archer was bound to be difficult, but if they disagreed on their final wishes from the Grail, it could end badly. But the man continued to surprise him, laughter shaking him as he stood.

“You’re insane!” Leo flushed red, not having expected such blatant honesty. “And yet,” Archer walked to the boy, laying a hand on his shoulder and giving him a warm smile, “you are ideal for me. We are more alike than I first thought.”

-

“I’m surprised you’re being so quiet.” Leo said, pressing his phone to his ear as he walked towards school. It was a new day, which meant another day of school. The blonde had been smart enough to set his alarm properly this time, and he had gotten dressed quickly. After breakfast, which had been surprisingly served by Archer, he left out the gates, said Servant dematerializing to follow behind him.

**_Why?_ **

A hum. “Just. Seemed like a good idea to stay home.” He glanced around himself, making sure no one was within range to hear him, before he continued speaking. “What with the war going on.”

An amused chuckle rattled through his head and he felt a deep frown grow on his face as he glanced to his left. He could never be too sure where Archer was in this form, but he had a hunch. **_You just wanted to skip school._** It wasn’t accusatory, simply amused.

Leo felt his face color as he began to cross the street. “Yeah, so what if I did?” He glared at the air around him, tugging on his backpack strap as he took a left towards the school. “You should have talked me out of it. We need to get ready.”

**_You will be fine._** Leo swore he could see the sarcastic grin on his Servant’s face. **_After all, you did tell me last night that there are no mage families to worry about at your school_.**

“Don’t you know there’s an exception to everything?” Leo asked with a huff, finally making it to the school entrance. As he stepped inside the gate, he felt a chill run down his spine, nearly causing him to drop his phone.

He glanced backwards, eyes trailing over the students walking in, before his attention snapped back towards the school. That energy did not mean good things. Leo frowned, and found himself gripping his blazer tightly. It had been dark, twisted, and disgusting. The kind of energy you never hoped to find anywhere near human lives; and someone had planted it right in the middle of his school.

Leo was going to make them pay.

Quickly as he could, he hurried into the school, navigating the halls easily as he made his way towards one of the more unused parts. He ducked out of sight of teachers and any students he recognized, carefully maneuvering himself to a spot he was sure no one would find him. As he checked his surroundings for anyone who might hear, he felt Archer’s aura settle next to him. “Archer.”

**_I know. I felt it._** The man sounded focused and serious, much unlike the casual sarcasm he had been using with Leo the past few days they’d been together. **_Fortunately, it only surrounds the school, but even then…_**

Leo cut him off. “Can you find the seals?” He didn’t care that it surrounded his school. He didn’t even care if it was small in scale to many other bounded fields like it. It needed to _go_ and someone needed to pay for putting so many innocent lives in the way of harm.

**_Of course._** Leo could feel the affirmative nod Archer was giving him, before he continued on sarcastically. **_Whoever set this up was very bold._**

“Or very stupid.” The blonde groused in response, glaring down at his feet as he ran through all the possible mages who could have set this up. Certainly, it couldn’t be targeted at him. The war hadn’t started in earnest and no one knew of the other Master’s true identities, or at least he hoped not. So did that mean someone else in the school was a mage?

**_You’re right. It’s sloppy._** Archer mused, pulling Leo from his thoughts. **_Certainly nothing done by a first-rate mage like yourself._**

Leo ignored the compliment, too focused on the matter at hand. He already had an inkling whoever had set this up wasn’t first-rate. The bounded field was too obvious, the energy barrier too thick. To any mage worth their while, it was a beacon, directing them towards the school. Challenging them.

“Shut it down.” Leo commanded, hands balling into fists as he looked over to where he assumed Archer was standing. “Get rid of this _garbage_ , Archer.”

**_As you wish, Leo._ **

-

“Here’s the last one.” Leo said, kneeling down next to the last of the seals. Archer had, to the best of his abilities, gotten rid of most of them. While Leo worried over his schoolwork, the Servant had done as commanded to the best of his abilities. But even then, he had been no match for some of the trickier seals. Control points, as Archer had helpfully pointed out, that were layered with traps and tricks far too complicated for a spirit like him to bypass.

Which had led Leo on a hunt throughout the school, Archer guiding him seamlessly from one seal to the next. At every stop, the Servant told his Master of his discoveries. Of how the energy of the bounded field was meant to act as a catalyst for mana intake. That anyone trapped inside when it activated would disappear in an instant, their minds and souls taken from them to fuel mana production.

Just the thought of it made Leo sick.

“Even if we throw a wrench in the works now, there’s no guarantee that the other mage won’t set it up again.” Archer said blandly, watching over his Master as the other worked. Leo snorted, of course he knew that. Any mage worth their weight would just set the field right back up. But judging by how sloppy the seals had been, and how messy the layers of traps were, he had an inkling that they had more time than they believed.

“It will be fine.” Leo urged, fingers twitching as magic flowed through him. His mana reserves were starting to burn out, having been used over and over again not only by himself, but also by Archer. It was starting to take its toll on the blonde mage, and he wanted nothing more than to be done here.

“If you are certain.”

There was a brief moment of silence, before Leo piped up again. “Archer. Does your kind really… do this sort of thing?” He glanced around him, not sure where the Servant was, but knowing that he had to be nearby. There was a hum from the man, and he made a small noise of assent.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Archer didn’t sound very pleased as he continued to speak. “Servants require mana, but if we are not getting sufficient mana feed we can also harvest it from human souls and minds.” Leo winced at the thought. He had figured it was for a Servant, but to have it said so plainly… Who would do such a thing? “All things considered, this is a very efficient way of harvesting mana.”

“Archer!” Leo shouted, breaking concentration to glare into the darkness. “You will _not_ speak that way again. Understood?”

“I’ve angered you.” Archer stated, before chuckling. “I apologize. You did ask.” He hummed, amused as Leo went back to work. “I promise you, Leo. I will never ask you to do that. You give me sufficient mana, and I abhor the thought of hurting innocents for my own gain.”

Leo wasn’t sure why, but the words made him relax. He was glad to hear that his Servant had morals, and wouldn’t ask him to do something like that. It made him like the grumpy servant just a little bit more.

“Alright. Done.” Leo said, feeling the last of his magic slip through him as he stood. The seal faded, turning to a dormant state as the blonde turned in the general direction of his Servant. “This will give us enough time to figure out who’s been putting these seals up. Now let’s hurry up and go before we’re-”

“Wow. You’ve really done a number on that thing.”

Leo gasped, spinning around as the feminine voice echoed across the rooftops. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he tried to find the source of the voice. He could feel Archer behind him, the man’s aura a soothing reminder that Leo wasn’t alone and that, if anything happened, his Servant would have his back.

“Up here, little mage.”

Wine-red eyes trailed up to the top of the water tower, pinning their gaze to the beautiful figure who stood atop it. Short, crimson hair fluttered in the breeze as red met red. Leo swallowed the lump in his throat as he saw the blade of the woman’s lance resting lightly against the steel of the tower.

“Who are you?” He asked, glaring at the woman. Someone had put up these fields, and she had been the one to stop it. Was this her doing?

The woman scoffed, turning her head away with an unimpressed expression. “I can hear you thinking, little mage. I am _not_ the one who placed these seals.” She turned back towards him, eyes glimmering with unrestrained rage. “Only truly evil people would ever stoop to such horrendous tactics. Much like my own Master.”

Leo bit his tongue, curious about why this woman seemed to hate her Master so much, but knowing not to test his luck. If was quite obvious which Servant Class this woman represented. If he were to say anything wrong, or even present himself as a threat; she would be upon him in a blink of an eye. “You sound unhappy with your Master.”

She chuckled, tapping the blade of her naginata against the water tower. “Unhappy doesn’t begin to describe it. But it doesn’t matter. I have sworn my loyalty to them.” The words rang in Leo’s mind. If she was having discord with her Master, it could be turned towards his advantage. Or so he hoped. Now he only had to live through the night to use this information against them.

“Your Master must not be happy to hear these things.” The blonde responded, eyes darting to the left and right as the woman jumped down from her perch. He backed up a few steps, still wary of anything she would do.

But she simply stood there, blade still facing the ground as she glanced around them. “What he’s happy about doesn’t mean anything to me.” She responded casually, before leaning up against the length of her blade. “But I guess, since you know about me. That makes you my enemy. Right?”

Leo didn’t know how to respond to that. She sounded so… nonchalant about the whole thing. Like she wasn’t _supposed_ to be launching the offensive and trying to kill him right about now. “Yes…?” He asked, not sure what else to say.

She looked him up and down, before shaking her head. “It’s a shame. You seem like an honorable Master. I would have much preferred you over my current one.” She gave a small shrug, still not moving to attack him. Leo was starting to think something was wrong with her. Any smart Servant would have taken the chance to kill him already. Or even better, draw out his own Servant from hiding.

“You’re Master must really be unhappy hearing you say that.” Leo mumbled, feeling Archer tug at his sleeve. He’d found a suitable escape route, and with enough luck, they’d be able to get out of there before-

The woman tilted her head, eyes boring into Leo as she began to communicate with her Master through their link. She closed her eyes, defeat written across her features before she grabbed her naginata, spinning it a few times. “I’m sorry.” She managed to say, a bitter smile on her face. “It seems I have been ordered to kill you now.”

That was all Leo needed to launch to the side, magic circuits whistling with energy as he made a mad dash for the fence to his right. _Est ist gros_ , he began to chat in his mind, already feeling the naginata cutting down behind him. _Est ist klein_ , he could feel the steel of the blade slicing through his hair. _Vox Gott Es Atlas!_

With a push of his legs, mana surged through his muscles and propelled him forward. The woman’s lance slammed into the ground where he had been only moments before, but Leo didn’t care. He ran towards the fence, before jumping up with all the strength that he had. He cleared it easily, curling into a ball as he felt a familiar presence behind him.

Archer, as according to plan, wrapped his arms around his Master protectively. Leo curled against the older man, heart thumping hard against his chest as he waited for impact, before launching himself out of the other’s arms and onto the ground. He stumbled, but regained his footing as he focused in on the school gates. He had to get out! He had to make it!

He felt someone appear behind him, the aura dark and violent. As he twisted to catch sight of the naginata’s blade, he felt Archer approach from the side. As the blade curved down on him, Archer’s blade curved up to meet it, blocking it and bouncing it back. The woman, surprised at the resistance, jumped away quickly as Archer swung his sword once more.

Leo kept going, only pausing when he was near the outskirts of the field and away from danger. He couldn’t exactly run from this battle. The Servant, and her Master, knew his face. And if they chased him into the city… it could cause widespread devastation. “So!” Leo started, chest heaving for breath as he glared at the woman. “A Lancer-Class Servant.”

The woman frowned, grip tight around the handle of her blade. “Good observational skills.” She smirked, before standing up straight. “And who might your invisible friend be? Show yourself!”

There was a moment where Archer did nothing, before he materialized in front of Leo protectively, a katana gripped tightly in his hands. The woman stared at him, assessing him, before nodding. “I see. You’re not a Saber, that much I know for sure.” She started moving towards them, an easy swing to her gait. “But you don’t seem much for single combat. An Archer, perhaps?”

The black-haired man said nothing, simply gripping his weapon and readying himself for another attack. Lancer frowned at this, shaking her head as she readied her stance. “You are an Archer, then. Come. Take out your bow and we will fight with respect befitting heroes.” Leo glanced over at Archer, wondering exactly what the man would do.

The other didn’t move, simply keeping his stance as Lancer waited across from them. “Archer.” Leo started, not really comprehending what the man was getting at. If he wasn’t going to attack, it meant Lancer would. And if Lancer attacked first, she would likely get the upper hand, being the faster spirit. “Archer, what are you doing?”

His Servant turned back, looking at Leo expectantly. The blonde as at a loss for words, not sure what exactly it was he was supposed to do. Archer expected him to do something. Say something. But what?

It hit him suddenly as Archer turned back towards Lancer. He wanted to prove himself, as he had told Leo the first night. Prove that he was better than any Saber. Prove that he was more worthy than any other Servant. Leo smiled and leaned back on the balls of his feet. “You’ll get no help from me, Archer. Defeat her, and prove to me that you’re strong.”

For a split second, Leo could have sworn he saw Archer smirk, before the man disappeared. Lancer, who had been trying to puzzle out Leo’s words, suddenly grabbed her naginata, eyes wide as she glanced around. Archer reappeared to her left, his blade cleaved a path through the air, but she blocked, spinning her blade and pushing him away before she rushed after him.

Again and again their blades met, sparks flying with every crash of steel. At times, it seemed like Archer was losing his ground, and at others, Lancer was being pushed back. Leo watched, enraptured by the movements of the two Servants as they danced around each other in combat. In its own way, the battle was as beautiful as it was deadly.

The sound of a blade whistling through the air shocked him out of his thoughts. Archer’s katana buried itself into the ground not too far from the mage, and suddenly, panic seized Leo’s heart. He turned, shouting out to his Servant as Lancer approached, apologizing to the man even as she pointed her blade towards him.

Yet, as she thrust the blade forward, ready to skewer him, a new katana materialized in Archer’s hand, blocking the blow before he threw it at her. Lancer yelped, tumbling to the side as she dodged the blade. Another re-materialized in Archer’s hand and he rushed forward, only to have his attack blocked once more.

“You’re… quite the fighter.” Lancer complimented as she swung her naginata. Archer jumped out of the way, landing a few feet from where Leo was standing, floored by his Servant’s performance.

“And you live up to your name.” Archer responded, pointing his blade at the woman before continuing to speak. “A woman with unrivaled passion for fighting. Who wields a great naginata and fights so swiftly, it is told that she is air itself.”

“Ah. So you’ve heard of me!” She chirped happily, pulling her naginata close as she gave Archer a bright smile. “It is always a pleasure to be recognized, though I admit, I did not think many knew of my origins.”

“Your legend may be old, but this world with never forget the good you did when you were alive.” Archer responded, an amused smile gracing his lips as he watched the woman swing her naginata back in front of her.

“Thank you, Archer. If only I could bestow that same respect upon you.” She frowned, positioning herself in a way that Leo had never seen before. “Unfortunately, if you know who I am, I have to end you.”

Leo blinked in surprise as energy cascaded all around them. He flinched backwards, watching as mana swirled around the woman. _No way_. He stared as bright red lines etched themselves across her face. _She’s using her noble phantasm?!_

Before Lancer could speak, there was a loud clattering sound from nearby. Leo gasped, turning to watch as a dark figure disappeared into one of the school buildings. “No way!” It was so late! No one should have been around right now!

The sound of air being displaced brought Leo’s attention back to the field. He looked around wildly, eyes wide as he tried to figure out where Lancer had gone. Panic bubbled in his chest as he started moving towards the building. If Lancer wasn’t here, then that meant she was chasing down the student! “Archer! Stop her!” He shouted, turning and running as fast as he could towards the school.

Leo felt Archer zoom past him, eyes wide as he made it to the entrance. He knew he wasn’t going to be fast enough to catch up to the other heroic spirit, but god he hoped Archer was. Magic flared weakly through his legs, pushing him further into the building and up the staircase. _Please don’t let him be late. Please don’t let him be late! Please!_

He burst onto the landing that twisted up onto the second floor. Turning, he felt his heart drop as Archer stared somberly down the corridor. _No_. Leo’s legs felt numb as he quietly shuffled up the stairs, his Servant never taking his eyes off the scene before him. _Tell me she didn’t…_

As he turned to look down the hallway, his knees felt weak. He stared, watching as blood pooled around the student, soaking into his uniform and hair. Leo swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling dazed as he began moving towards the body. “Archer. After her.” He ordered, not really paying attention. “Find her master. Please. Or this death wouldn’t have been worth it.”

Without another word, Archer de-materialized, and was off. With him gone, the weight of everything crashed into Leo, and he collapsed to his knees next to the boy’s body. He reached out, finger gingerly tracing the slope of the other’s shoulder as the other drew in a ragged breath, desperately fighting to stay alive.

“Hey.” He started softly, running fingers through hair caked in blood. “It’s okay. I’m here.” Gentle fingers combed through long strands of hair. “I’ll stay until you’ve passed.” It was the only reassurance he could give. The only thing he could say.

Even if he wanted to save the boy, he couldn’t. It was a rule of magus society to never allow witnesses to live. It was a failsafe, meant to protect the world of mages from the tragedies they had faced before. Leo knew that. But it still didn’t hurt any less to see life snuffed out for something they had no control over.

“Here, let’s get you on your back,” he started, rolling the boy over, “you’ll be more comfortable that-”

His heart stopped. For one, wretched moment, he prayed to god that he wasn’t staring at who he thought he was staring at. He felt his heart pound violently against his ribs as he took in Takumi’s form, silver-hair turning brown from blood, and cherry-red eyes dulling with every passing moment.

“No.”

_This can’t be happening._

“Why did it have to be you?”

_I failed her._

“Why did you have to be _here_?!”

He shouted that last phrase, fingers tightening around Takumi’s arms as he began to shake. No. No no no. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He wasn’t supposed to be _dead_. God, how could this have happened? Why didn’t he sweep the area better?!

“What am I going to tell her?” Leo’s eyes were burning as Takumi twitched at the sound. “ _How_ am I going to face her tomorrow? What do I say to her? God damn it, Hoshido! Answer me!” He was yelling now, pounding his fist to the other’s chest as if the dying boy could give him all the answers. Could save him from the shame and guilt he would feel come tomorrow morning.

“You can’t die. She was just getting better.” He choked on his words, thinking about that beautiful smile disappearing from his little sister’s face. “She needs you. You’ve always been there for her and…” Leo shut his eyes, willing himself not to cry. They may not have been friends, but Leo had always considered Takumi as important. Someone to watch over, if only for his sister’s sake.

“No. No you won’t die.” Leo hissed, shoving his hand into his pocket as the artifact his father had left him began to hum with power. “I won’t allow it. You’ll _live_. I promise. So just hang in there.”

Takumi Hoshido would live to breathe again, if Leo had anything to say about it.

-

“I apologize.” Archer said quietly, walking over to where Leo lay on the couch. “I could not keep up with Lancer. She disappeared too quickly and I lost track of her trail.” The blonde made a noncommittal hum as he continued to stare up at the ceiling. God he couldn’t believe he had done that. He’d broken the number one rule of mage society, all for the sake of his little sister. What would his _father_ think?

He blinked in surprise when Archer held his fist over the boy’s head. “This belongs to you.” The man said simply, waiting for Leo to react, before dropping the object into the boy’s hand. _The ring_. He thought quietly, curling his fingers around the worn surface of it. Without the mana that had been infused within it, it looked worn and normal. There was nothing special about it. It was just… a ring.

“Thank you.” Leo said softly, wondering why he had just dumped the ring next to Takumi in the first place. It was the last piece of his father he had, and it wasn’t exactly smart to go around leaving that with someone he barely knew. “Drained of every last drop. What a waste.” He sighed, before shoving the ring back into his pocket. “At least he’s alive.”

There was a moment of silence, before Archer piped up. “Was this a wise decision, Leo?” He asked, giving his Master a very serious look. Leo sat up slowly, staring at Archer in confusion before the words began to sink you.

“You don’t think…”

“Yes, I do.” Archer responded, flicking his head towards the doorway. “Lancer’s Master knew we were disassembling the bounded field around the school. How do we know-”

“-that he didn’t feel the healing magic.” Leo finished dumbly, scrambling to his feet with renewed vigor. He hadn’t thought about that! What if Lancer’s Master already knew? What if he’d already sent Lancer? What if Takumi was already dead again?!

“Hurry, Archer! We need to go!”

-

_Please. Please don’t let me be late again._ Leo pleaded, arms wrapped around Archer’s neck as the man jumped as quickly as he could across the rooftops. The blonde could see Takumi’s home off in the distance, and despite how quiet it was, there was fear twisting his gut. He had brought the boy back to life, only to leave him to his fate once more.

God he hoped the other was alright.

As they neared the ground near Takumi’s home, Leo leapt out of Archer’s arms, making a mad dash towards the gates. As he skidded around the corner, he barely registered the command Archer had yelled out to him as a red blur appeared above him. Leo yelped, jumping out of the way of the blade, tumbling into the wall that surrounded the house as Archer materialized in front of him, batting away the red-clad warrior.

Leo stared, eyes wide as the warrior before them readied his sword, brown hair flowing down his back like a mane and sharp steel eyes piercing them both. “No way.” The blonde whispered, suddenly feeling like a child hearing about legends and heroes for the first time again. “It’s him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello. I'm sorry the update was a little late. I had planned to get this up Thursday/Friday, but it's lately been super hot and I haven't been feeling too well (so hopefully the chapter is still alright. I've been trying to edit it these past few days ugh). Better late than never right?
> 
> Anyways, things are really starting to heat up. We have two new Servants and I'm sure anyone who's played Fates can guess who they are ;) Here's a hint if you can't, they're both from Hoshido.
> 
> By the way, speaking of updates, I thought I'd let everyone know that I started up a tumblr at ikallawrites.tumblr.com . I'm going to be posting random things about this and my other work (Love Me Like You Do), and generally answering questions, posting schedules, and doing requests. I'll definitely be posting some nice little extra notes later today about some of my thought process for this series so far, so if you're interested, hop on by :)
> 
> Plus I needed a place to rant about cute ships and fire emblem that wasn't my collab art channel hehe


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